Tai Chi for Parkinson’s

To learn more about Tai Chi for Parkinson’s – click on the categories drop down menu to the right of this blog – then click on the tai chi category to view nine posts on the subject. Videos of the presentations by Bianca Molle and Mingtong Gu from the Santa Fe Parkinsons Recovery Summit can be claimed on the Summit website.

If you are planning on attending the Parkinsons Recovery Summit in Cincinnati June 22-23 you will have to make a choice between two workshops: Either learn all about essential oils that help people with Parkinsons recover or Tai Chi that recent research demonstrates has a profound impact on symptoms.

I met the author, Randy Eady, in Delray Beach, Florida, where he is known as the “Foot Whisperer” for his promotion of whole body health through treatment of the feet. I was intrigued as he had apparently had the same insight as Janice Walton-Hadlock in that PD is related to a blockage of Chi energy in the foot. I saw Randy for several sessions over the period of a month. He calls his work Ancient Walking to Primal Rhythms, a form of “movement meditation.” Each session began with a soak of my feet in a mini hot tub, followed by a foot massage concentrating on acupressure points particularly K1 (kidney 1). He had me try a number of different modalities:

– Walking on a pebble mat (also called a Chi mat). At first this hurt a lot – like walking on stones! – but I have become used to it. Randy gave me a pebble mat to take home with me and I use it faithfully every day.

– Wearing shoes with individual toe sleeves. Randy got me a pair of Fila “skelatoes” shoes that are the next best thing to going barefoot. Shoes of this type are all the rage right now in the world of running. I find them exceptionally comfortable and superior to any walking shoe that I have ever owned.

– Non-focused eye movement. He gave me a number of exercises to do that help train the sides of the brain to do tasks that formerly the other side had done (at least this is my interpretation of the exercises). -Tai chi. Randy instructed me in the first half dozen movements of tai chi, both sitting and standing. I am afraid I am a slow learner (could never learn to dance either) but feel that tai chi is one of the keys to solving the PD problem which I am coming more and more to believe is an electrical problem that can be corrected.

– Counterrotating arms. At least this is something I can do quite easily: rotate one arm clockwise and the other arm counterclockwise. Again, I feel that this is about training the brain and creating new neural pathways.

– Vibroacoustic lounge and vest. Randy obtained both of these on loan and I was able to try both. I had previously used a vibroacoustic lounge at Robert Rodgers “Jump Start to Wellness” workshop in December 2009. In my opinion, the vibroacoustic vest was just as effective. The deep vibrations produced by the vest or lounge seem to entrain the tremours of PD, offering considerable relief. The sessions I had were highly relaxing; indeed, I fell asleep. – Tuning forks. It is interesting how a tuning fork held against acupressure points, particularly the one on the top of the head, feels so very good.

– Walking in nature. Randy introduced me to Delray Oaks, an incredible nature preserve that was less than half a mile from our condo. Walking through that park was one of the most joyous experiences I have ever had and I was literally overflowing with gratitude.

– And so much more. Randy Eady is a true Renaissance man for the 21st-century who has something significant to offer to people with movement disorders such as PD.

Can you recommend any techniques to improve my walking? At present I tend to drag my right leg. If I go for a walk I am OK after about half a mile. I tend to drag my leg on short runs and around the house

John

Response:

First, consider doing Tai Chi on a regular basis. It is a good idea to connect with a teacher who is proficient. There are excellent DVDs on Tai Chi that also extremely helpful if accessed on a regular basis.

Arieh Breslow in particular has produced an outstanding DVD – When Less is More – that is mindful of the mobility challenges that confront individuals who currently experience the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Second, I have a suggestion offered by professional dancer Pamela Quinn during my radio show interview with her on September 30, 2010. You can hear the show by visiting the Parkinsons Recovery Radio Show Network Page at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/parkinsons-recovery

The entire show is worth hearing from start to end. Pamela offers a number of suggestions to persons with mobility challenges. She suggested that you practice kicking a soccer ball using the leg that drags. It helps to wake up that lazy leg.

You obviously do not want to kick a soccer ball while going to work or doing errands. Instead – you simply pretend that you are kicking the soccer ball as you walk from one place to the next. It works just as well as if you were actually kicking it.

Third, try bouncing a ball as you walk – just as you did when you were a boy. Your foot is dragging because your body is navigating through neural pathways that are dysfunctional. When you bounce a ball while you walk – you create new neural networks. This short circuits the old pathways that are presently hindering that lazy leg’s functionality.

I recently returned from a fantastic five week visit to the U.S. I had been invited by the Parkinson’s Recovery organization to give a series of Tai Chi workshops to Parkinson’s people during an eight day cruise to Alaska. After the cruise, I gave several workshops in Washington and Oregon on behalf of the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation. And then, before returning to Israel, I spent a week in New York where I attended some dance sessions for Parkinson’s people, sponsored by the Mark Morris Dance Group.

One evening during the cruise, my brother and I were having dinner with Robert Rodgers and Deborah Russell, the founders of Parkinson’s Recovery. In the course of our conversation, Robert turned to me and said,

“Danny, all week long people have been coming up to me and saying that the Tai Chi is great, but Danny is incredible.”

His words went straight to my heart. I was fighting to keep back tears. Robert continued,

“When you do your Tai Chi, you do it with such passion that the room just explodes with a high frequency energy that draws other people in, prompting them to be involved.”

I was overwhelmed that I had such an impact on others. Tai Chi is one of my passions in life. When I am doing Tai Chi, I feel at my best. I go deep into myself, to a place where Parkinson’s symptoms melt away. Just as a painter expresses his inner most self through his painting, and a poet through his poetry; I express my inner most self through my Tai Chi.

This “frequency explosion”, or whatever you want to call it, repeated itself with every subsequent workshop that I did. Participants’ faces would light up with smiles as they followed my movements. At the conclusion of the Mercer Island workshop near Seattle, people were standing around in small groups, discussing the workshop. In one group, Bill Bell, president of the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation was commenting to others that the energy level in the room was so high that people could not keep from participating. One woman in the group said that when we were doing our Qi Gong exercises, she felt as if I were lifting her hands for her.

There is certainly nothing special about me. If I am incredible, then it must be because I am surrounded by incredible people. In fact, the Parkinson’s group on the cruise was filled with many incredible people who were taking active roles in finding relief and healing from their Parkinson’s symptoms. One such incredible person is Dave Yonce. Talking with Dave is a wonderful experience. He has a gentle personality and his life is packed with adventures. He related to me how, in his younger years, he had walked and hitch hiked across North Africa and had tried to enter Israel. But, because there was no peace agreement at that time between Egypt and Israel, he was not permitted to cross the border. Dave recently completed a walk across the Olympian Peninsula in the state of Washington, a trek of more than fifty miles (80 kilometers). I looked at Dave wondering how on earth he had accomplished that task, as Dave had marked trembling in both hands and certainly did not look able to do such a feat.

The next morning I understood how he had walked such a distance. As the ship docked at Ketchikan, my brother and I disembarked to walk around and see the town. After walking some distance, we stopped to rest and take some pictures. Suddenly, I noticed Dave and his wife walking in our direction. As a Tai Chi instructor, I pay particular attention to people’s posture, how they move their bodies and how they walk. As I watched Dave approach, I was witnessing one of the most astounding acts of movement I have ever seen. Dave was gliding along, with big strides, effortlessly and efficiently moving his body. As he floated by, he moved like a graceful crane as if he was skimming on top of water. Dave smiled at us as he passed and I turned my head staring at him as he disappeared off in the distance. Later, we managed to catch up with Dave. I noticed him through the window of a small café, comfortably parked at a table having a bite to eat. He looked relaxed, comfortable, and energized as he smiled through the window at me. By that time, I was sweaty and exhausted after clomping along trying to keep pace with my brother. I have since tried many times to replicate Dave’s walk, but to no success. I hope that I will see Dave again so that I can study his walk in greater detail.

While I was at a Parkinson’s dance class in New York, I met another incredible person, Pamela Quinn. Pamela is a professional dancer who developed the symptoms of Parkinson’s at a young age. She is currently 55 years old and has had Parkinson’s for fifteen years. As she started teaching her class, there was that same explosion of energy that Robert had described about my classes. Participants were smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves. I was deeply moved as I watched her guide the class through her routines. She had such grace and poise. Pam is extremely innovative in her approach and has developed many exercises that address specific Parkinson’s symptoms. I had taken my camera along, but I was so mesmerized by Pam’s passion and positive energy that I completely forgot to take the pictures.

So what made my visit to the States so special? It was special because I discovered that each one and every one of us has the opportunity to become incredible. I learned that we become incredible by living and investing ourselves to the fullest of our abilities in pursuit of our passions in life. And when we begin to share our passion with others, we release explosive high frequency energy that brings healing, encouragement, comfort, and joy to everyone around us.

Below I have posted a marvelous poem written by Daniel Loney who is virtually symptom free from Parkinson’s today thanks to his practice and dedication to Tai Chi. You can hear my interview with Daniel Loney by visiting:

Exhausted from the fight
And weary of the journey,
I find rest upon a city bench
Parked, like a statue in the square.
Ignored and invisible to passersby
Who scurry through their lives,
They move with quickness and with ease,
A pace I can no longer keep.

Yet, there is still a hidden place
Where I am king.
A world where every move
Becomes a gift of praise.
A place where tears flow freely
In thanks for heaven’s grace.

Stillness is my solace,
And slowness is my sanctuary
Where every muscle, joint, and sinew seeks its rightful place,
And every limb and organ finds harmony in the whole.
Where I am quiet as a mountain,
Yet, flowing like a river great.

With the grace of a white crane spreading wings,
I move,
And with the firmness of a golden pheasant on one leg,
I stand.
Using the guile of a snake creeping down,
I fight,
And with the stealth of a tiger seeking prey,
I conquer.
Like a horse jumping over a stream,
I soar in victory,
And with the surety of a sparrow returning to its nest,
In triumph I fly.

So, if in your daily journey
Rushing from place to place,
You happen upon a man
Dancing an ancient dance,
And diamond drops rest on his cheeks

Know that he is immersed in tai ji prayer,
Crying tai ji tears of faith,
Worshiping through movement in awe of his Creator.

The inspirational e-mail posted below was sent by Danny Loney who will be offering free Tai Chi workshops on the Parkinsons Recovery Cruise to Alaska which departs from Seattle on May 3, 2010. For further information about the 7 day cruise to Alaska, visit: http://www.parkinsonsdisease.me/alaska.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

Hi Robert,

This past week concluded the conference of the Israel Parkinson’s Association held at the Dead Sea. I spent most of the last night of the conference laying in my bed with tears in my eyes as I thought about the experiences that I had encountered over the previous four days. For me personally, it was emotionally overwhelming as I did not expect to experience such an outpouring of warmth, acceptance, and love. Most of the participants I had known from past conferences and other Parkinson’s events, but this time I was able to connect to others and get to know them in a very personal way. I felt like a lost puppy that had found a warm and accepting home.

I was amazed at the many compliments that I received from my tai chi workshops and felt a bit uncomfortable with all of the attention. There is a tremendous amount of creative talent in our Parkinson’s Association, whether it be paintings, woodwork, organizational skills, poems, music, counseling, or just a word of encouragement and a warm smile. And I am only one of many who want to make a contribution; a guy with Parkinson’s trying to help a few other people with Parkinson’s improve the quality of their lives.

I have exciting news to share. Daniel Loney has now confirmed his appearance as a presenter on the seven day Parkinsons Recovery Cruise to Alaska which leaves Seattle May 3rd. You can hear my radio program interview with Daniel by visiting the Parkinsons Recovery radio Program page and scrolling down to the December 3rd program:

I have received a mountain of positive feedback on my radio program interview with Daniel Loney. He was critically ill with the symptoms of Parkinson’s eight years ago but is virtually symptom free today thanks to his commitment to practice (and teach) Tai Chi every day.

Because Daniel Loney has first hand experience with Parkinson’s symptoms, he has invented a series of Tai Chi movements and exercises that are specifically designed to help people who have Parkinson’s.

Today Daniel Loney is a teacher of Tai Chi for individuals who have the symptoms of Parkinson’s. His free Tai Chi workshop on the Parkinsons Recovery Cruise to Alaska will be a special treat for everyone.

Discover the scoop on the cruise to Alaska by clicking on the link below. It will be a transformative experience for us all:

I have exciting news to announce. December 3rd, 2009 I aired an interview with Daniel Loney on my weekly radio program. Daniel reversed his Parkinson’s symptoms by practicing Tai Chi regularly. He now teaches tai chi to individuals who have the symptoms of Parkinsons. Daniel has invented a wide variety of exercises and Tai Chi movements that have been of enormous help to him and his Tai Chi students.

The exciting news of the day is that Daniel Loney will join us on the seven day Parkinsons Recovery Cruise to Alaska that will be departing May 3rd from Seattle. He will be offering a free session on Tai Chi.

If you haven’t heard my radio interview with Daniel on December 3rd it is well worth taking the time to listen.

The most profound site is the Parkinsons Recovery Project. Free downloadable books at this site make the most sense. You cannot just skim over them. I read the 2005 or so editions and follow closely all updates.

I was treated in 2005 using Yin Tuina with great success. The western ways of dealing with PD symptoms involves focus on the physical/chemical. They have ignored the psychological. I can manage the physical, but head work is by far more exhausting. The Parkinsons Recovery Project wont be accepted for another 20 yrs or more probably. But there are people who have recovered and improved with their philosophy and much difficult introspection.

I loved your most recent radio show on Tai Chi. I do T’ai Chi Chih, an even more PD friendly tai chi for some that has only 20 movements